He started against Lyon on 7 November (21-19) but went off in the 6th minute.
Scans after the match confirmed a ruptured Achilles tendon, L’Équipe reported on Friday. Welsch, 23, who can play on either side of the scrum, was Montpellier’s most used prop this season: nine Top 14 matches, four of them starts, for 313 minutes, a try and 41 tackles. He previously spent a season at Aurillac in the Pro D2 (14 matches in 2024-25).
The injury comes at a bad time for a Montpellier front row already stretched before the trip to Bordeaux. Of the 1,381 minutes played by Montpellier’s props in the Top 14 this season, 1,001 were played by players who are now out or soon will be. Hooker Jordan Uelese (jaw) is also injured. According to L’Équipe, the club is looking at signing a medical joker.
| Prop | Matches | Starts | Minutes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilfrid Hounkpatin | 8 | 5 | 336 | paternity leave due |
| Valentin Welsch | 9 | 4 | 313 | Achilles |
| Luka Japaridze | 6 | 4 | 276 | available |
| Baptiste Erdocio | 4 | 4 | 194 | biceps |
| Reda Wardi | 3 | 1 | 129 | suspended |
| Luca Tabarot | 3 | 0 | 104 | available |
| Mohamed Haouas | 1 | 0 | 29 | groin |
Key figures
9-12 months out, according to estimates
9 Top 14 matches, Montpellier's most used prop
1,001 of 1,381 prop minutes played by players now out or soon to be
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